The much-awaited Mokokchung District Football Association (MDFA) Trophy 2024 will begin on October 15 at Imkongmeren Sports Complex under the theme ‘Fueling Passion, Inspiring Dreams,’ with T John Longkumer, IPS (Retd.), State Election Commissioner, as the inaugural guest.
A total of 12 teams will be participating in the tournament. The group draw for the teams was held on Friday at the MDFA treasurer’s residence in the presence of representatives from the participating teams. The teams are divided into four pools, with three teams in each pool. The top two teams from each pool will advance to the quarterfinals after a round-robin league. The tournament fixtures will be announced tomorrow.
The return of the 2000 champions, Amokmolu SC, is one of the major highlights of the tournament. Interestingly, they are grouped in Pool D alongside defending champions Telongjem FC and the Konyak Students’ Union Mokokchung, another strong team.
SSS continues its record of being the only team to have participated in every single MDFA tournament since 1993. The Super Seniors will aim to prove their ‘seniority’ on the field, while defending champions Telongjem FC will strive to secure their fourth consecutive title.
Former champions Moanungsang MSC will be eager to reclaim their past glory, having come close last two years, losing in the finals to Telongjem FC on both occasions. Zonipang SC, also former champions in 2011 and 2017, is making a comeback with a much younger team.
All in all, the tournament promises to live up to the legacy of MDFA tournaments.
Despite the decline in the number of participating teams in recent years—an issue that the MDFA needs to address immediately—the quality and standard of the game have been improving. It’s no wonder the MDFA Trophy is dubbed the biggest regular sports event in Mokokchung.